Imagine one of your students in an interview. The interviewer asks the student about a specific post found on Facebook in addition to a comment made on a blog page. In this moment you would hope that they are seeking to compliment your student but in all reality the interviewer has found some negative material. Let's get real! This generation is going to be defined by a digital footprint. Their actions online will make or break their career. Scary thought!So, here we are today. Our job is to provide every tool and tip possible that will hopefully lead them to a positive digital footprint. There are so many digital venues to consider and honestly, some of these venues do not even exist yet! Here are a few tips for your students:Facebook- If you do not want your future boss to read it, keep it in a message. Even better - Don't say it!"If you do not have anything nice to say, do not say anything!"- Privacy Settings: Make sure you have your account locked tight. You do not want just anyone off the street to see your digital life; especially if you are extremely open about all things that happen!- Pictures can hurt you more than words. If there is a picture of you doing something illegal or inappropriate, don't post it! It could cost you a five or six figure salary position!- In the future, never post juicy details about your interview on Facebook. If your possible boss finds it, consider yourself without a job.Twitter- Remember: Once it is out there, it can go viral in seconds! I once posted a great comment and it was everywhere within 5 minutes.- Twitter is not for sharing your daily events. People do not need to know when you wake up, shower and use the restroom. Keep it clean and modest!- Create a positive and professional image of yourself.Instagram/SnapChat/Vine- Keep it modest! Again, these can go viral. All it takes is a screen shot and a share for everyone to see it.Blogs- Watch your grammar and demeanor. Your future employer might want to evaluate your writing abilities. Your blog, whether it is professional or personal, will provide an incredibly fast snapshot of your abilities.- Do not provide too much about yourself. Keep people in the know but not in your business. Scammers will run with this information and use it against you!It is virtually impossible to predict every piece of amazing technology that awaits us in the future. But common sense will serve us, especially our students, well. Posting inappropriate content is a career killer. It can even influence college admission. One little rant or poor choice can change everything in a second.Just recently I watched some bosses panic when some information about an employee can across their email. Immediately, the technology supervisor, building supervisor and company VP were in action searching online to verify the information. Thankfully, nothing was found and the rumor initiator found. But consider how fast this person could have been without a job. Very Scary!Use Common Sense. If you would not want your grandmother reading or seeing it, keep it off the internet!